Peek at the wish list of any Hudson County small business owner this holiday season, and you’ll invariably find one item at the top: more customers. For the fifth straight year, American Express is organizing a Small Business Saturday on Nov. 29 in hopes of providing an extra push.
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, customers can enjoy discounts through businesses and American Express itself, attend special events, and promote their local pride on social media through the hashtag #ShopSmall.
Based on past years, the initiative is working. An estimated $5.5 billion was spent at small independent businesses during the 2012 edition of the event, according to American Express.
This year, hundreds of small businesses representing every municipality in Hudson County have signed up as Shop Small participants, from restaurants and retailers to yoga studios and dentists. These businesses can be identified by the signs and banners emblazed in AmEx blue in their windows or found online on an map and directory of all participating businesses at ShopSmallNow.com.
In order to be eligible for Shop Small promotion, businesses must have a physical storefront, no more than 25 locations nationwide, and accept American Express credit cards.
Small Business Saturday lacks the deal-happy delirium of its larger cousin Black Friday, but shoppers will still have opportunities to save. Customers using American Express can get $10 back on purchases of $10 or more at up to three Shop Small locations. Cardmembers must register online in advance to receive the offer.
In addition, some stores will offer their own discounts to reward local shoppers. For example, Fine Jewelry & More at 779 Ave A in Bayonne will host a $7 sale from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 29.
The Hudson County Chamber of Commerce has signed on as a 2014 Neighborhood Champion for the second year in a row, and will be distributing signs, doormats, and $25 gift cards to participating members.
Chamber President Maria Nieves said her organization’s focus on Small Business Saturday will be encouraging residents to shop local as well as small.
Carlo Davis may be reached at cdavis@hudsonreporter.com.
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American Express picks Washington Street block for Main Street Makeover
Hoboken’s city government continues to ponder a complete redesign of its crucial commercial corridor Washington Street, but one part of the street will be seeing changes sooner than others. Hoboken is one of only five cities nationwide that has been selected to receive a “Main Street Makeover” from American Express in conjunction with Small Business Saturday, and a specific Washington Street block will be in the spotlight.
For this inaugural project, American Express has enlisted Susan Swimmer, a New York-based designer and the fashion features editor of More Magazine, to redecorate the 500 block of Washington Street with wreaths, lights, and other holiday enhancements. According to American Express, Swimmer’s displays will combine traditional holiday elements with a nautical twist in honor of Hoboken’s maritime past.
Swimmer’s designs will extend into six small businesses on the block: Washington General Store, Bella Ro, Gypsy Warrior, The Medicine Man, Dear Hannah, and Bareburger.
Other businesses along the block are being encouraged to expand on this theme in their own window displays. In fact, Swimmer’s Main Street Makeover theme has been made the theme of the Hoboken Chamber of Commerce’s annual Holiday Decorating Contest, encouraging businesses citywide to weigh anchor and hoist the tinsel.
The Chamber will award cash prizes to the top three decorated storefronts in Hoboken, with $1,000 going to the first place winner. Businesses can receive up to five points in the judging for inclusion of a nautical theme, and those shops that register and decorate by Nov. 29 will be awarded five bonus points towards their score.
Chamber members can register online at members.hobokenchamber.com/events/details/2014-holiday-decorating-contest-744. Displays will be judged from Dec. 15 through Dec. 18, and winners will be announced on Dec. 19.
American Express and Swimmer hope to celebrate their Washington Street makeover with an official ceremony on the 29th.
Miami, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. are the other cities selected to receive makeovers this year. According to American Express representative Jon Milne, Hoboken was picked because it was in the New York area but retained a “small-town community spirit.” Milne said classic main streets with local businesses like Washington Street are increasingly hard to find in urban settings.
The selection of the 500 block played into those goals even further. “It’s definitely not the busiest block in Hoboken,” said Milne. “It’s not where Anthropologie or any of the big banks or Cake Boss are. We are supporting really small stores that need the help around this time of year.”
Representatives at least one of the Shop Small businesses taking part in Saturday’s event, Stan’s Sports Center, said they plan to offer a 10 percent storewide discount.
In hopes of further incentivizing holiday shopping at local businesses, the Hoboken City Council voted this past Wednesday to give drivers a break on the city’s well-known parking pinch. On Saturdays from Nov. 29 through Dec. 20 and every day from Dec. 21 to Dec. 25, drivers can park free for up to four hours in the Midtown, B, and D municipal garages if they present receipts showing at least $20 worth of purchases in Hoboken.